The National Labor Relations Board has found evidence that the franchise owners may have broken the law in the lead-up to the October vote in which pro-union workers narrowly lost by 87 to 85 votes.

Organizers brushed off the loss at the time, saying they didn't need official recognition to pressure franchise owners Rob and Mike Mulligan for better pay and working conditions. The organizers are affiliated with the Industrial Workers of the World, which has historically discounted the importance of recognition by the National Labor Relations Board.

But the workers also disputed the vote, filing a challenge with the board alleging that the Mulligans broke the law by pressuring workers to vote against the union in the lead-up to the vote.

The NLRB recently finished its investigation into the union's allegations.

"It's a mixed bag," NLRB Regional Director Marlin Osthus told City Pages today. "There's evidence to support that the employer violated the National Labor Relations Act in certain areas of its conduct. Other things that were alleged we didn't find any support for."

The findings have brought the Mulligans and union supporters back to the table, as the Labor Board attempts to broker a settlement. Osthus says he is optimistic that the settlement could be finalized as soon as tomorrow. One of the terms of the agreement, he says, is likely to be the nullification of the October vote, which would clear the way for another union vote in the future.

Union organizers declined to comment on the situation until the settlement has been finalized, and the franchise owners did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

There is obviously some vast ignorance about the IWW out there. The IWW is run by the workers on a local level and is not run by union bosses. BTW, most members can pay their months dues with a PORTION of their earnings from just ONE hour of work. Educate yourselves. It's not as fun as making ignorant statements, but you'll stop sounding like an ass.

Union = less money in the end for the workers... now they'll have to pay dues. Good luck getting an extra dollar an hour, only to pay a dollar fifty per hour in dues. Unions have there place, but I don't see this being a good fit.

Yeah, the other unions, most of them, deserve the criticism. I work under AFSCME, which negotiated a contract a third grader could have done a better job of. AFSCME has taken my work situation backwards. (And I roundly hate that our union supports the DFL with my hard earned money! Unions should not support candidates, even if a majority of union members support a candidate.) But there are unions rising up, like the wobs and a new health care union in California, that are threatening the "business as usual" unions that are so common these days. Sal Rosselli (not sure of spelling), in California, is a guy to watch, as well as our local stars and go-getters who are getting national notice for their work at Jimmy John's and Starbucks. Go IWW!!!

I am both a member of the IWW and a member of an AFL-CIO union. The dues from BOTH unions nowhere comes near to the increased wages I get from being in a union. Again, know the facts before you spew your anti-union nonsense.

Thanks for the total ignorance. Just goes to show how when willfully ignorant have no facts they invent them. If ignorance is money, you must have at least three mansions,a Ferrari and a Rolls. Jimmy Johns workers are not required to pay the whopping nine dollars a month to the IWW and the Union was set up so that there was no set dues, only voluntary contributions. Most of these workers make under $10,000.00 per year and they organized themselves through hard work and brains with no money. Nationwide the IWW has one paid secretary. Keep up the great work. You'll get pie in the sky when you die.

Yeah, we're making a killing collecting $9 a month from our members. Our one, barely paid and over worked General Secretary Treasurer (who makes half of what I make at my union job) is just rollin' in the dough.

Note to reflexive anti-union morons: RESEARCH THE SITUATION AND KNOW THE FACTS BEFORE YOU SPEW BLANKET, DOGMATIC, IDEOLOGICAL ANTI-UNION NONSENSE!!!